Jenkins comes through again
Playing better than he ever has before, Jeff Jenkins won the game for the Brewers with a late inning homerun for the second day in a row.I won't say I'm excited or optimistic about the Brewers, ...but I will say that I am "newly re-interested".
I had season tickets in 2001. Went to 20 games. Loved the first half of the season where they ended up 3 out of first, but I hated the second half of the season where they started off losing 21 of 23 games.
2002 was a wasted year. Heads should have rolled in 2001, but Wendy Selig was dense. She didn't "get it". We (meaning the fans and citizens of Milwaukee) were promised a competitive team if only:
We supported the team with ticket sales
Paid for and built a new stadium
We accomplished these things, and it was no small task. It took a lot of effort, argument, heart break, tragedy, and time to get it done. But we did it. We passed the resolutions, paid the bill, watched it grow, fall, and grow again. We packed the stadium most nights, cheered them even in defeat, ...and what did we get in response?
A slap in the face. Poor effort. Poorer execution. No accountability. No leadership. No reason for hope.
There was nothing we could do, but walk away. And we did.
I attended 1 game last year and the tickets were free (my roommates company seats).
They got the message. Heads rolled.
Still, I and everyone else in the city was pessimistic. The season started with out too many people noticing. Sure, we saw the ads promoting the fact that the new players are going to try harder, that they actually want to be here, that the team will give a greater effort, ...but we were a little sour on marketing campaigns (with good reason).
Now, halfway through the season, they are still 31-45. They're not really lighting things up, ...but anyone who has seen more than a few games can say this ...the team is more interesting to watch. Exciting, even. They don't give up. They play hard. Occasionally they will play really good ball. People are starting to talk about them. Friends who abandoned ship long before I did are taking notice.
It will be a slow process. But, if they can keep this up, ...they have a chance to turn things around. They can win back the fans. I now believe it can happen.
And another thing, ...I'm going to pick up some tickets this weekend.
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